Harvey Weinstein sexual assault trial: Hollywood producer charged with rape in Los Angeles as New York case begins
FirstpostLos Angeles: One woman ran into Harvey Weinstein at a Hollywood film festival in February 2013. The Los Angeles County district attorney, Jackie Lacey, said Weinstein has been charged with one felony count each of forcible rape, forcible oral copulation, sexual penetration by use of force and sexual battery by restraint. One of the victims in the Los Angeles case will also be called as a witness in New York to recount her experience with Weinstein in an effort to establish a pattern of behavior, prosecutors in Los Angeles said. Though authorities in Los Angeles could issue a warrant for Weinstein’s arrest, it was highly unlikely they would disrupt the trial in New York by seeking his removal to California, or that the judge in New York would allow it. Rose McGowan, an actress who has accused Weinstein of sexual assault, said at a news conference in Foley Square that the trial in Manhattan marked “a moment of justice” for his accusers, even those who “won’t have even one day in court.” Addressing the disgraced producer she said, “You brought this on yourself by hurting so many.” Another actress, Sarah Ann Masse, said, “As a group we have been threatened, bullied, intimidated and retaliated against.” She added, “We will not be silenced anymore.” Inside the courthouse, the gallery of Part 99 of the state Supreme Court was packed with reporters and spectators, as Weinstein, 67, once one of the most powerful producers in Hollywood, made his way slowly to the defense table.